The Ecology of Play

The word "Ecology" comes from the Greek word οἶκος which means "house" or "environment". Ecology as according to Wikipedia, it is the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. We could simply apply the term "ecology" to many systems such as the food chain system, the biomass, the human population, the nutrient cycling. These systems and processes are sustained by organisms with specific life history traits.

When we use the term "play". It usually means engaging in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. So how do we apply the word "ecology" into everyday "play"? There are many different shapes of forms of play. For example, children play in the playground or running around the sports field. Adults engage play through social gathering like dinner parties and functions. Both types of play has one common purpose, it is to socialise and engage fun through various environments. One question which I raised for myself during the Arataki Visitor Centre project is, how do we engage social play through through such a beautiful and tranquil rain forest environment. Due to the Kauri tree dieback, a Rahui is imposed to close off the tracks. It certainly made things tricky to play in the forest.

As a result of such a issue, I proposed the tree pods/play houses. These tree pods are individually designed and built. They locate in the heart of the forest but without touching the forest. Visitors (both adults and child) can enjoy the adventurous trill of getting in and out of the tree pods, as well as the feeling of being surrounded by the forest whilst inside the tree pods.